Winds of change are coming. Impatient as I have been, this is part of the entire process that cannot be hurried. I am a firm believer that there is a place and time for everything. Yet, so often, I forget. But fall in place they do, in their own time.

Disability in Malaysia has evolved from charity-based to rights-based with the enactment of the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008. At the same time, the disability movement is increasingly practicing a structured and knowledge-based engagement with the relevant stakeholders apart from persuasive and hard-nosed advocacy. These include the Independent Living Programme and Disability Equality Training that were introduced to the movement in 2005 by the Department of Social Welfare and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The Independent Living Programme advocates for the provision of support services to enable disabled people to live independently in the community. Disability Equality Training explains disability in a logical manner and encourages commitments to break environmental and attitudinal barriers. Both work in tandem to realise the participation of disabled people in all areas of life.

These two platforms have transformed the disability landscape in the country somewhat but more can be done towards achieving that goal. Now, we have new allies from the Pusat Rakyat Loyar Buruk who are spearheading a revolution to expedite the process of making Malaysia more accessible and inclusive. For once, I may just have the opportunity to witness substantial changes to the built environment in my lifetime.

Every year this day, I spend some quite time reflecting. I no longer think so much about how my life could have turned out had I not made that fateful dive into the pool. I could have become an engineer like what my father wanted me to be to take after him. I could have become a politician. I could have turned to crime. I could be very dead by now. I will never know. That is not important any more. I cannot turn back the clock and change that any way.

Instead, I reflect on what I have done so far with what I have and what I can be. Life is too short to be wondering about what could have been. Searching for a purpose in life was difficult in the beginning. It took a lot of hits and misses for me to discover what I wanted to do and one that I could do well in. Blogging was the first step. Then I had the fortuity to make friends with people who nudged me in the right direction. Kuan Aw and Christine deserves all the credit for being the wind that filled my sails when I first set out from the harbour.

Dr. Kenji Kuno of the Japan International Agency (JICA) gave me every opportunity available in his collaborative projects with the Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat since 2005 to learn about Independent Living Programme (ILP) and Disability Equality Training (DET). My perspective on disability and rights of disabled people are shaped by the philosophies and principles propounded in these courses. I am now a senior trainer for DET and resource person on ILP because he gave me many opportunities to learn and put them into practice.

Wuan is instrumental in encouraging and supporting my work in disability advocacy. Without her, I would not be able to do so much. I may be independent but I still need assistance with my activities of daily living. Wuan helps me with that and that makes it convenient for me when I am out and about. Even at home, my life is easier because she makes sure that my needs are well looked after before she goes to work and after. She is always there for me. Indeed, she has been my pillar of strength since the beginning of our relationship.

On this anniversary, I want to celebrate these wonderful people who have come into my life and made a difference in so many ways. I am who I have become today because they have been generous with their kindness. They have proven that disabled people, given the opportunity and support, can achieve much more than we are made to believe. I am that irrefutable proof.

The road ahead may still be long but because of the foundation that they have helped me build, I am now doing work that is not only personally fulfilling but one that has the potential to change society for the better. To them, I want to say a big thank you from the bottom of my heart. My life is all the better because of you.

The method of propelling the manual wheelchair has not changed for the last 100 years. This is achieved through pushing the handrims that are attached to the large wheels. Wheelchair users expends the most energy in this act of pushing to move around in the course of a day. Anodised aluminium handrims are common these days because it is light and cost-effective. This is what I have for my current wheelchair.

Nike Alpha Training Men’s Grip.
Photo taken with the Samsung Galaxy S III.

The surface of the handrims is smooth. I have weak grips. My hands tends to slip. This makes pushing tiring. I have previously used leather gloves with latex pads which worked very well. However, the latex pads wear out and tear within six months. I have used up two pairs of these which I bought from Japan for ¥7,000 (RM270) per pair. This is expensive for something that lasts six months only.

My hands are rather large but the “Small” size fits nicely.
Photo taken with the Samsung Galaxy S III.

While shopping at Mid Valley Megamall last year, I found these Nike Alpha Training Men’s Grip at the Nike Shop for RM79 per pair. They are not gloves but are gripping pads for weightlifting but worked as well on wheelchair handrims. Unfortunately, I dropped one side a few months later. The shop where I bought them and the other Nike Shops that I went to enquire were out of stock for my size. I placed an order for three pairs with the Nike Shop at The Gardens Mall which arrived nearly two months later.

This is how I push the wheelchair.
Photo taken with the Samsung Galaxy S III.

My thumbs and fingers are too weak for a good grip of the handrims. I push the rims by pressing my palms against the handrims. The non-slip surface of the pads helps in maintaining a good traction. They are cheaper than the leather gloves with latex padding and are very durable. Needless to say, I am happy to have found these pads.